Dip peaches (optional for apricots) in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins loosen.

Dip quickly in cold water and slip off skins.

Nectarines are not peeled before canning. For freezing, nectarines are washed and peeled without dipping in hot water.

When freezing apricots if skins are not removed, heat them in boiling water for ½ minute to keep skins from toughening during freezing.

Cut in half, remove pits, and slice, if desired.

To prevent darkening, keep peeled fruit in water with vitamin C made by mixing 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid crystals or six 500-milligram vitamin C tablets in 1 gallon of water. (If using a commercial ascorbic acid mixture, follow directions on product label.)

Freezing Procedure

Don’t freeze more than 2 pounds of food per cubic foot of freezer capacity per day. These fruits may be packed with syrup or dry sugar.

To Make a Syrup Pack

Mix and dissolve 2½ cups of sugar and ½ teaspoon of ascorbic acid or three crushed 500-milligram vitamin C tablets in 4 cups of water.

Add 1 cup of this syrup to each quart of prepared fruit.

Pack into plastic freezer containers or tapered wide-mouth jars.

Press fruit down and add syrup to cover.

Leave ½ inch of headspace for pints and 1 inch of headspace for quarts.

Place a small piece of crumpled water-resistant paper or wrapping material on top to hold fruit down. Seal, label, and freeze.

To Make a Dry Sugar Pack

Mix ½ cup of dry sugar per quart of prepared fruit.

Stir gently until sugar dissolves or let stand for 15 minutes.

To slow darkening, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of ascorbic acid dissolved in 3 tablespoons of cold water over each quart of fruit before adding sugar.

Pack into plastic freezer containers or tapered widemouth jars.

Allow ½ inch of headspace for pints and 1 inch of headspace for quarts. Seal, label, and freeze.

Canning Procedure

Wash jars.

Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Fruits in jars may be covered with your choice of water, apple or white grape juice, or, more commonly, a very light, light, or medium syrup.

To make a very light syrup for a canner load of quarts.

Mix 1¼ cups of sugar in 10½ cups of water and heat to dissolve.

Mix and dissolve 2¼ cups of sugar in 9 cups of water to make a light syrup.

Mix 3¾ cups of sugar in 8¼ cups of water to make a medium syrup.

Fill jars with fruit and hot liquid using the hot or raw pack method.

Remove air bubbles. Leave ½ inch of headspace and wipe sealing edge of jars with a clean, damp paper towel.

Add lids and tighten screw bands. You may process jars in a boiling water or pressure canner.

To Make a Hot Pack

Place drained fruit in boiling syrup, juice, or water and bring to a boil.